A variety of different devices have been designed to facilitate the movement of invalids from a seated position in wheelchair to a seated position in a bathtub. Basic to the design of most of these devices, is a lift utilizing a vertical column, which operates a seat support to raise and lower a person in the seat. The seat support also is made rotatable; so that the person may enter the seat from outside the bathtub, be rotated to a position over the water in the tub, and then lowered into the tub. When the bath is finished, the process is reversed. Many such installations require substantial modification to the bathtub region; and frequently, the devices consume a considerable amount of the available space in and around the tub. Many such devices require professional installation, and the installation is permanent or semi-permanent in nature.
A device representative of an effort to simplify a bather's lift installation is shown in the Feyerherm U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,108. The device of this patent is attached over the edge of the tub; so that all of the side-to-side stress is carried by the tub itself. There is no upper and lower connection; but tile vertical shaft which holds the seat extends through a tube on the side of an inverted "U-shaped" device, which fits over the edge of the tub. With the widespread use of fiberglass tubs having relatively thin sidewalls, the device of this patent very well may place sufficient stress on such a tub as to break it, crack it, or otherwise damage the integrity of the tub. Because the weight of the person in the seat is all pressed against the tub itself, it appears that this device is primarily suitable only for cast iron tubs.
The patent to Daniels U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,473 does not require any holes to be drilled, either at the lower end or the upper end of the seat support column. The device of the Daniels patent, however, must be fitted over the end of the tub, where the lower part of the weight rests. For the upper end, a turnbuckle is used to wedge a plate, to which the top of the device is welded, against the wall. This is an installation which, in most cases, needs to be made by a handyman. In addition, the device itself limits the use of the tub by non-handicapped persons.
A different approach is disclosed in the patent to Cassell U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,030. The bathtub lift of this patent requires it to be attached to the wall, and it rests on the edge of the bathtub at the lower end; so that the tub must carry all of the weight.
Another approach is shown in the device of the Crispen patent U.S. Pat. No. 2,779,949. This device must be lifted over and into the tub; and a pair of arms extend outwardly on each side to rest over the edge of the tub to carry the weight. The mechanism of this patent would be difficult for many people to install and remove.
A simple and easy to use assembly is disclosed in the above identified patent to Gilbert U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,207. The lift disclosed in this patent is a hydraulic lift. As disclosed in the Gilbert patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,207, however, the installation requires a plate to be bolted to the floor, and another plate to be bolted into the ceiling for supporting a vertical slide shaft for use with the hydraulic lift. Because of the bolted plate at the ceiling and the bolted plate on the floor, installation in most cases needs to be made by a handyman. To remove the assembly illustrated in the Gilbert patent '207, when a multiple section slide shaft is employed, the upper section may be moved upwardly into the ceiling, through the upper support plate to disassemble the two parts of the slide shaft. The parts then may be lifted off the floor support plate and pulled down off the ceiling. When this is done, however, the support plate still remains in place on the floor, unless the bolts are removed. Likewise, the ceiling support plate leaves a hole in the ceiling.
It is desirable to provide a simple support system for a bathtub lift, which is easily installed, which is unobtrusive, and which permits the lift readily to be moved from one location to another.